The Importance Of Media Literacy - 1737 Words

Indeed, the pervasiveness of media in its abundant forms in contemporary US culture is undeniable. Almost everywhere one looks, one can find forms of media; a magazine at a doctor’s office, a billboard alongside a freeway, a painting at an art gallery, a performance on television or on stage. Media, undeniably, is ubiquitous. However, in all the innumerous forms media comes to us in, every one of these forms is created for a single purpose; to communicate an idea or message. Thus, it the individual’s ability to interpret these forms and decipher their meaning has become critical. But how are students, as well as educators, supposed to interact and interpret media? Propitiously, just as with any subject of study, one must become†¦show more content†¦7-8). Hoechsmann Poyntz furthers Buckingham’s argument by eloquently writing, â€Å"Rather than being positioned as victims, a focus on media†¦ addresses the complex ways youths become agents in th eir life and the lives of others† (Hoechsmann Poyntz, 2012, p. 109). Indeed, because the singular purpose of media is to convey an idea or a message to the masses, media must have an audience; which is to say a group who consumes it. Further, because of its omnipresence in US culture, media will certainly almost always have an audience; for anyone who is exposed to media may be considered part of its audience; whether they consciously acknowledge their participation or not. Consequently, through a variety of forms, such as access to television and the internet, children today are exposed to media from a very early age. Assuredly, as Buckingham suggests, starting from a young age of even four or five, children have already started interacting with media (Buckingham, 2004, p. 41-45). Subsequently, children, from a very early age, most certainly, are members of the media’s audience. However, the central question presented here is whether children should be forced to remain a passive consumer or be encouraged to become an audience’s ac tive participant. Most assuredly,Show MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Media Literacy1184 Words   |  5 Pagesknowledge we can obtain from media is limitless. In order to be fully literate in this era, one needs to obtain knowledge on how to correctly use media. It is crucial to the well being of society that media literacy be included in the United States’ school curriculum. Media is the present and the future and we need to be able to understand how to use it to its unsurpassed ability. One will gain the wisdom on how to access, evaluate, and produce information through media using this addition materialRead MoreMedia Literacy Is Not Just Important1401 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Media literacy is not just important, it’s absolutely critical. It’s going to make the difference between whether kids are a tool of the mass media or whether the mass media is a tool for kids to use† (Linda Ellerbee). In a culture enthralled by the media, the concept of â€Å"Media Literacy† has been one that has materialized multiple definitions. But the most commonly used is that media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and produce media in a variety of forms. Since the advent ofRead MoreMass Media Essay720 Words   |  3 Pages Mass Media: Development and Literacy Assignment Emily Lewis Horne University of Phoenix HUM 186 October 30, 2017 The Major Developments of the Mass Media In the textbook, Media and Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age, written by Richard Campbell, it talks about wat mass media is and the mass media developments. It said, â€Å"The mass media are the cultural industries—the channels of communication—that produce and distribute songs, novels, TV shows, news- papers, movies, video gamesRead MoreThe Effects Of Mass Media On American Culture951 Words   |  4 PagesEffects of Mass Media Introduction Why is mass media influencing the American culture? This is what we are going to be discussing in this essay. It’s important that we understand where the media has come from and where it is now and the journey that it is taking the American culture in the last century. America has now explored what un-traditional media and it has a major impact on the culture called new media. What were the major developments in the evolution of mass media during the lastRead MoreNew Media Literacies in the Classroom Essay1532 Words   |  7 Pagesfirst used, ‘literacy’ had a very traditional meaning: the ability to read and write (â€Å"Literacy,† 2011). Being literate was the norm, it was required for all and it distinguished race and class. However, as times change and culture emerges and grows, people acquire new knowledge, such as technology, that can very well be identified as literacy, or media literacy. As technology leads the 21st century, students are now expected to excel and master media literacy as well textual literacy (Jenkins, ClintonRead MoreEarly Development And Exposure Of Young Children925 Words   |  4 PagesMany will agree that early development and exposure to literacy are important determinants of the future of young children. Some believe that literacy is obtained from reading, while some believe that social involvement is th e foundation of literacy. There is an existing gap in vocabulary and social development that is observed in children at age 5, which is when they are ready to go to school. This difference in literacy levels is especially noticeable between children raised in high versus lowRead MoreThe Impact Of Media On A Global Level1616 Words   |  7 Pagescivilization, â€Å"literacy† became defined as the ability to interpret a series of squiggles as letters with meaning. Now, as language and modes of communication are evolving, so are the definitions of literacy. Media messages are rapidly assimilating into culture at unprecedented rates, with lasting effects. The makes it just as necessary for people to understand how to interpret media messages as it is for them how to know to read printed language (Thoman Jolls, 2004). While media literacy was initiallyRead MoreTelevision : A New, Evolutionary Technology, Or A Blast From The Past?967 Words   |  4 Pagesamongst American media i n comparing the prevalence of newspapers, radios, motion pictures, and televisions when they were in their primes. They differed in that the later mediums were quicker to receive popularity; however, all four forms rose, stayed on ‘top’ for a period of time, and inevitably fell as they were replaced by a more popular type of media. Despite this pattern, Michael Wolff recently reported that, albeit the internet being widely considered the most popular media of current day,Read MoreDigital Literacy Essay1297 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Digital Literacy ENG122: English Composition II Angela Temple January 20, 2014 In today’s world it is a requirement to be digitally literate in order to be able to function in a capacity that enables one to be more successful whether it is at home, school, at our jobs or even looking for a job. Over the last few decades our environment has evolved into a digital environment. Being or becoming digitally literate is essential in being successfulRead MoreEssay on Mass Media Development and Lieracy Assignment Options908 Words   |  4 PagesMass Media: Development and Literacy Assignment Options Brittnee Green University Of Phoenix HUM/186 Mass Media: Development and Literacy Assignment Options In today’s society mass media has such an influence whether it is positive or negative. It plays an important role in our everyday lives. Mass media affects everyone in the world. The purpose of mass media is everything tied into the advancement of technology and most often education, news, internet, television, magazines, and so much